RAAM
General RAAM was a quiet but ruthless Locust. RAAM was once a Drone soldier, then a member of the Theron Guard. His skill, intellect, strength, and his loyalty to the Horde and Queen Myrrah earned him the title of head of the military leadership of the Locust Horde. RAAM had a passion to wipe out all of the Lambent and Humanity, and with his intelligence and willpower, he almost succeeded. Biography Early Life RAAM spent one year as a Drone before proving his skill and intelligence, elevating him to the Theron Guard. During this time, RAAM had quickly proved himself to be even stronger and smarter in the elite unit. Within only a few short years, he usurped military leadership of the Locust Horde and successfully took control of the Locust military.Art of Gears of War He brilliantly led the Locust War against the Humans of Sera, and he led his troops personally on Emergence Day,General RAAM (Action Figure) Toys R Us Exclusive figure packaging alongside General Karn who was another high rank member of the Horde. RAAM developed a strategy of locating Gear leaders and eliminating them, in order to demoralize the remaining human forces and deprive them of leadership, a tactic which Queen Myrrah approved of.Gears of War: Act 1: Ashes: Wrath Somehow, RAAM learned the ability to control Kryll, vicious bat-like creatures native to the Hollows; his mastery over the creatures was quite disturbing, as he used them as a protective shield and as a form of attack. RAAM was also tasked by Myrrah to command the locust when they were deployed on the battlefield. After Karn's death during the Destruction of Halvo Bay, RAAM took complete control of the Locust Horde's vast army and led them for several years. Locust War The Evacuation of Ilima Around a decade after Emergence Day, RAAM directed a Kryllstorm to assault Ilima City on the Jacinto Plateau, as a stepping stone towards an attack on the COG capital of Ephyra. Three hours before the Kryllstorm hit, RAAM emerged in the center of the city with two Mauler Elites, Theron Elite, and a Tremor, which could summon Seeders that could ink out the sky. Myrrah spoke to him telepathically, ordering him to escort the Tremor to the first emergence point. RAAM threw a car out of his way, and then directed his shield of Kryll to rip apart a Gear. He kicked through a COG barricade, then RAAM and his bodyguards wiped out all of the Gears defending it. The Tremor then began planting a Thumper, and then more Gears attacked, trying to stop it. RAAM and his forces killed them all, and a Seeder emerged near their location. Myrrah complemented RAAM on his good job, and ordered him to move to the next location. She also warned him that the COG had deployed Gears wielding the One-Shot. RAAM killed several Gears that emerged from a nearby building, and entered a courtyard. He slaughtered the Gears defending it, including one with a One-Shot, and brought down a King Raven by overwhelming it with Kryll. RAAM kicked a van through a door to the second seeder location, and he and his bodyguards protected the Tremor as it summoned another Seeder. They then headed for the next emergence point, and RAAM killed a Gear piloting a Silverback and the other Gears at the location. He then smashed through another wall, and took out two more Silverbacks and several other Gears. RAAM and his bodyguards repelled the COG counterattack on the location, and a third Seeder was summoned.RAAM's Shadow: Darkness Spreads Assault on Alpha Checkpoint An hour after this, RAAM emerged with his bodyguards and the Tremor at a COG evacuation outpost. They quickly smashed through the initial defenses, and RAAM and the others guarded the Tremor as it planted another Thumper to summon a Seeder. COG reinforcements arrived, but they were all defeated, and another Seeder emerged, deploying more Nemacyst to ink up the sky. RAAM led his forces through the area around Ilima City Hall, crushing more COG resistance, and they arrived at the final spot to summon the remaining Seeders. After clearing out the last of the Gears, a modified King Raven flew over the battlefield and dropped off two Silverbacks and dozens of Onyx Guard, who attempted to stop RAAM and his bodyguards. After several minutes of hard fighting, the Onyx Guards were all killed, and three more Seeders emerged onto the battlefield. Myrrah congratulated RAAM on his success, and ordered him to move to the final spot to summon the last of the Seeders needed to completely darken the skies above Ilima.RAAM's Shadow: Under the Shadow .]] Assault on the Orphanage When there were only a few minutes left until the Kryllstorm hit, RAAM led his forces to attack the Children's School of Hope, one of the last remaining areas in the city not under Locust control. As his Drones attacked the squad guarding it from one direction, RAAM advanced on the Gears from behind to catch them off guard. As he approached, one of the civilians, Jace Stratton, that the Gears were protecting tripped on the body of a dead Gear as he tried to run to safety, and RAAM picked him up by the head and prepared to stab him. Jace kicked RAAM in the face, knocking him off balance for a moment, and Pvt. Alicia Valera knocked Jace out of his grasp and attempted to cut him with her Chainsaw Bayonet. His armor protected him, and RAAM brought his knife up through Valera's stomach, killing her. This caught the attention of the rest of the Gears, who opened fire on RAAM. His Kryll shield protected him, but he fell back and summoned his personal Reaver, taking to the skies to continue his assault. As the Gears counterattacked the Locust advance, RAAM destroyed the bridge that led to the orphanage, cutting them off. RAAM flew over the battlefield, and when he spotted a Gear firing on him from a platform, he crushed the soldier, causing the platform to collapse. When he saw another Gear outside of the orphanage, he fired a Kryll Grenade from his Reaver, and the Gear was devoured.RAAM's Shadow: Kryllstorm Battle With Zeta Squad RAAM then landed on a nearby building and fired at Zeta Squad, which had made it back to the orphanage and killed all of his bodyguards. He was driven off the building when his Reaver was injured, but continued this pattern of attack to try and kill the Gears as Emergence Holes opened around the orphanage. However, his Reaver became too injured and crashed, knocking RAAM off before it flew away. RAAM confronted the Gears on foot, supported by various Grenadiers, Cyclops and dozens of other Drones from the E-Holes. However, the Gears were able to close the holes, and took advantage of whenever he directed his Kryllshield away to fire upon him relentlessly. RAAM eventually had enough of this, and when his Reaver returned, he took back to the sky, flanked by two other Reavers. As they assaulted the Gears on the ground, RAAM's flanking Reavers were eventually killed, and his Reaver was shot down as well. He crash-landed behind the orphanage, and his left leg was badly wounded and stuck. As he attempted to pull it out, Lt. Minh Young Kim appeared in front of him, determined to get revenge for Valera. As Kim charged at him, RAAM managed to call a shield of Kryll to defend himself, but Kim continued trying to get through it. Cpl. Michael Barrick arrived and pulled him back just before RAAM directed hundreds of Kryll at them. RAAM watched, frustrated, as Zeta-Six and the civilians in the orphanage escaped in KR Eighty-Four. .]] Operation Midnight During the Coalition of Ordered Governments's Operation: Midnight four years later, RAAM led a squad of Theron Guards in an attack on a Gear squad that was stationed on the Ferro Bridge, who were attempting to keep it open for a convoy to pass through. They advanced on the Gear squad, killing two of the Gears, until RAAM and his Therons cornered the remaining Gears on one end of the bridge. When they were about to advance and overwhelm the Gears, four King Ravens appeared and opened fire on RAAM and his soldiers. RAAM jumped over the side of the bridge into the water below to escape while his minions were killed. He swam to shore, and watched angrily as the Gears succeeded in carrying out their mission and the COG convoy crossed the bridge.Gears of War: Midnight Lightmass Offensive Early Offensive When the COG launched the Lightmass Offensive later that year, RAAM personally led the Locust counterattack. He led an ambush of two Gear squads at the Tomb of the Unknowns, intending to hunt down and kill the Gear leader. He isolated and personally killed the leader of Delta Squad, Lt. Minh Young Kim, whom he recognized from Ilima City. He ordered the other Locust to leave Kim to him, and punched him in the face before picking him up and impaling him upon his knife, staring into Kim's eyes as he died. RAAM then tossed the body aside and turned his attention to the other Gears, but they had already retreated into the Tomb of the Unknowns. Following the retreat of Delta and Alpha Squad into the tomb itself, RAAM ordered the release of a Berserker into the tomb to kill the survivors and prevent them from escaping with the Sonic Resonator.Gears of War: Act 1: Ashes: China Shop However, when that failed, he captured a Gear shortly after Delta attacked the Lethia Imulsion Facility, and used his com device to discover the humans' whereabouts of the Lightmass Bomb, and its need for targeting data. RAAM then shot the Gear in the head with a Boltok Pistol, and, acting on that intel,Gears of War: Act 3: Belly of the Beast: Tip of the Iceberg he sent forces to East Barricade Academy, where they attempted to prevent Delta Squad from obtaining Adam Fenix's targeting data on the Hollows.Gears of War: Act 4: The Long Road Home: Campus Grinder RAAM then personally set out to hijack the Tyro Pillar with armed forces as well, in order to capture the Lightmass Bomb. While RAAM's forces in East Barricade failed to stop Delta Squad from obtaining targeting data, RAAM was able to take control of the Tyro Pillar, throwing many of the defending Gears off the high-speed train while they were still alive.Gears of War: Act 5: Desperation: Window Shopping RAAM guarded the bomb while his soldiers secured the train and attempted to stop more Gears from boarding, but two Gears, Sgt. Marcus Fenix and Pvt. Dominic Santiago, were able to jump aboard as it passed through Timgad Station.Gears of War: Act 5: Desperation: Special Delivery .]] Death RAAM stayed with the Lightmass Bomb at the front of the train as Sgt. Marcus Fenix and Cpl. Dominic Santiago fought through all of his forces on the train, killing them and preventing the Locust efforts to stop the Tyro Pillar. RAAM confronted the two Gears at the head of the train, determined to stop them from reaching the Lightmass Bomb and inserting the targeting data. RAAM held his ground, advancing on the Gears while firing a Troika Heavy Machine Gun at them and shrouding himself in Kryll. Reavers also attacked the Gears in support of RAAM, but a King Raven manned by Col. Victor Hoffman, Pvt. Augustus Cole, and Cpl. Damon Baird prevented them from drastically interfering. RAAM was unable to kill the two Gears, and was eventually killed by them when they broke his shield of Kryll and shot him to death; avenging Kim's death. They left his body on the Tyro Pillar as it drove into the Imulsion pit and launched the Lightmass Bombs into the Outer Hollows.Gears of War: Act 5: Desperation: Pale Horse Legacy To the people of Sera, news of RAAM's death was met with rejoicing. But to the Locust Horde, RAAM's failure and death seemed to spell certain doom; with the destruction of the Outer Hollows, the Horde lost of millions of drones and tamed Hollows creatures, turning the tide of the war to the humans' favor, and weakening the Horde's defenses against the Lambent. But the Lightmass Bomb also awakened a Riftworm, and RAAM's successor Skorge was able to use the awakened Riftworm and lead a massive counterattack against Jacinto City.Gears of War Official website Skorge seemed to use even more brutal methods than RAAM did, such as capturing Gears and "processing" them, with even Sgt. Marcus Fenix, RAAM's killer, stating that Skorge made RAAM look like a pushover. Gear in cold blood.]] Personality and Traits RAAM was a quiet but merciless warrior, earning the favor of Queen Myrrah herself. He was intelligent, methodical and calculating, as seen by using a captured Gear's radio to eavesdrop on the COG during the Lightmass Offensive. He was ruthless and merciless, despising the Humans and Lambent as much as everyone else in the Horde, if not more. As brutal as he is powerful RAAM chooses particularly unpleasant ways of killing humans unfortunate enough to meet him personally, such as lifting them up by their skulls and then beheading them with his serrated sword. Fear was not part of RAAM's vocabulary. Even when Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago cleared the Tyro Pillar of his forces, RAAM alone stood his ground and fought to the bitter end. However, the general did know when to retreat, as evidenced during Operation: Midnight. Quotes Behind the scenes design to his new redesigned look in Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.]] *Dee Bradley Baker voices RAAM. *RAAM was added to Gears of War in the last minute; due to time constraints and production deadlines, the reason for him being on Tyro Pillar was never explained until Gears of War PC.http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/marcsaltzman/2011-05-08-gears-of-war-3-info_n.htm *RAAM was named after the owner of a local Indian restaurant that Epic staff members ate at. *If you kill General RAAM on hardcore you'll get the achievement "A Dish Best Served Cold". *RAAM is the Leader for Assassination in Gears of War but is replaced with his successor, Skorge, for Gears of War 2. *RAAM appears smaller than his original height in multiplayer but is still taller than most other COG and Locust soldiers. *RAAM has been released as a figurine in a two-pack with Lt. Minh Young Kim. He comes with his Troika and serrated knife from the game. *An exclusive action figure of RAAM was released at Toys R Us. *In the Gears of War top 5 Deadliest Locust Video, RAAM was named number one. *RAAM is included in the Gears of War 3 HeroClix Toyline. *RAAM appears briefly at the beginning of the Dust to dust trailer, leading Locust against Marcus and Dom. *RAAM is playable in his own mini-campaign for Gears of War 3, a DLC called RAAM's Shadow, which was released on December 13, 2011. *RAAM has his own unique Execution move in said DLC. He can grab a downed Gear by the head, lift him into the air, look the Gear in the eyes and then decapitate the Gear with his serrated blade. He finishes the execution by throwing the head over his shoulder in a very unentertained manner. In addition, RAAM can also impale Gears with his knife similar to how someone would be impaled by a Retro Lancer but RAAM only uses one hand to do it and with very less effort. *If you kill 50 Gears as RAAM with your Kryll finger you'll get the achievement "Finger of Doom". *In Gears of War 3, RAAM has an Easter Egg in Bullet Marsh called "RAAM's Gift", in which RAAM sends his Kryll to give you a hand-held Vulcan Cannon if you find all four of his swords in the correct order. These swords can only be collected from the sniper-roosts and northern warehouse when the power is out and the Kryll are there. *RAAM's hand-held Troika appears to be based on the body of the Boomshot, the trigger group, and receiver have stayed the same but the large grenade launching barrel has been replace by two Troika barrels. The cylinder magazine stayed the same also, but was probably modified to hold Troika ammunition. *RAAM's strategy of killing Gear officers to demoralize other enemy soldiers is not unlike a strategy Germany utilized in WWII. German soldiers were instructed to target ally officers so as to disorganize the enlisted servicemen and ensure victory. However, like RAAM, the tactic ultimately failed as American Sergeants, Corporals, and Privates had the courage and skill to take over leadership of their squads. A trait shared by Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta Squad. *RAAM was re-concepted and fully re-built from scratch for Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.RAAM Remastered Article *If one looks closely at the background on the extended cover art of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, they can see the face of RAAM in the sky. *RAAM is a guest character in the video game Killer Instinct (2013). Multiplayer *RAAM is available as a player in Gears of War, and is the leader during Assassination. *He is also an unlockable character in Gears of War 2 Multiplayer, if the player has received the A Dish Best Served Cold achievement, acquired after killing RAAM on the Hardcore difficulty. In order to acquire RAAM, you must sign into Xbox Live after obtaining the A Dish Best Served Cold achievement. *In the Unreal Engine 3 trailer for Gears of War 2, RAAM is still shown as leader, even though he is replaced by Skorge in game. *RAAM was added as a multiplayer character to Gears of War 3 on December 13, 2011 as part of the RAAM's Shadow DLC. Appearances *''RAAM's Shadow'' *''Gears of War: Midnight'' *''Gears of War'' *''Gears of War: Ultimate Edition'' *''Gears of War 2'' *''Gears of War 3'' References Category:Characters Category:Locust Horde Category:Males Category:Locust Generals